After coming together to get behind Wales for what was a successful international break, fans of Cardiff City and Swansea City will now spend the next few days drawing battle lines once again.
The lack of TV coverage, and perhaps the sense of temporary peace time brought on by Wales duty, means the build-up to the 115th South Wales derby feels a little more understated than usual. But make no mistake, when Keith Stroud blows that first whistle at 3pm on Saturday, he will be doing so inside a cauldron of fiery passion as the two biggest clubs in Welsh football do battle.
Cardiff City are arguably the ones under the most pressure to win this game. Not just because three points would go a long way to easing their lingering relegation concerns, but they also have to wrestle back the bragging rights from their friends up the M4.
READ MORE: Why Cardiff City v Swansea City South Wales derby isn't being shown on TV
Sabri Lamouchi has already tasted victory in one derby this season after seeing off Bristol City, but his preparations for this game have been dealt an early blow following the international break.
Callum O'Dowda, one of Cardiff's brighter performers this season, was ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's defeat to France in Euro 2024 qualifying, with boss Stephen Kenny confirming the wideman had a groin injury.
It remains to be seen what sort of condition he is in for the derby, but as things stand it seems likely the 27-year-old will be out of contention.
Fellow countryman Callum Robinson has also been sidelined recently, although the previous timeframe given by Lamouchi suggests there was some hope he could return after the international break. He could feature, at least from the bench.
Jamilu Collins and Ebou Adams remain out with long-term injuries, but Lamouchi favourite Romaine Sawyers emerged unscathed from two outings in the CONCACAF Nations League with St Kitts and Nevis, even finding the net in a 3-1 win over Saint Martin. Mahlon Romeo also saw some action in the same competition, lasting the full 90 in two games for Antigua.
Meanwhile, youngster Rubin Colwill gave his boss something to think about with an eye-catching performance for Wales under-21s as they eased to a 3-0 win over Scotland.
Colwill has played just three minutes of football since coming off the bench at Luton towards the end of January, and appears to be down the pecking order under the current regime.
However, he produced a timely reminder of his abilities in action for Matty Jones's side, mustering up two assists to cap a display that might just have given his boss something to ponder.
Gavin Whyte was another forward to see some minutes over the recent break, coming off the bench midway through the second half of Northern Ireland's 1-0 defeat to Finland. Mark Harris was called up but not included in a matchday squad for Wales. Whether either player has a role on Saturday isn't clear.
Meanwhile, the international break doesn't seem to have given Swansea boss Russell Martin any fresh concerns as he bids to win his fourth South Wales derby.
Two members of his squad received a tremendous boost. Ollie Cooper came off the bench to make his full debut for Wales in the 1-0 win over Latvia, in a game where Ben Cabango also featured, while Nathan Wood also made his first appearance for England's under-21s side in the defeat to Croatia at Craven Cottage.
Olivier Ntcham made it through 71 minutes of Cameroon's 1-1 draw with Namibia in an African Cup of Nations qualifier. The forward sat out the second game between the two teams, which his side won 2-1, although that decision doesn't appear to have anything to do with the forward's fitness.
Elsewhere, Ryan Manning's absence from the Republic of Ireland squad has raised a few eyebrows on the Emerald Isle, but he remains a key part of Martin's plans.
Joe Allen's international days are obviously behind him, and there has previously been hope that the midfielder will be available following a recent knock picked up in the defeat to Luton.
Steven Benda remains sidelined, so Andy Fisher seems almost certain to start in goal.
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